combing

combingn.— «Evading torpedoes, particularly when you didn’t know precisely where they were, often called for what was known as “combing” the torpedo spread. “Combing” consisted of turning the ship to a parallel course with that of the torpedoes, which in the absence of seeing the torpedoes themselves could be determined by the bearing of the attacker. By “combing,” the ship presented a narrow, head-on profile (or occasionally stern-on profile) to the torpedoes, thus making the ship a smaller target and minimizing the chance for a hit.» —“The Fuso Mysteries—The Battle of Surigao Strait” by ProCynic Pro Cynic (Indianapolis, Indiana) Oct. 28, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)